


kneel

by 101places



Series: trauma days [8]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: But not fun ones, Doctor Who References, F/M, Flashbacks, Hurt/Comfort, Jemma Simmons Has PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:15:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22360102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/101places/pseuds/101places
Summary: Simmons has a bad reaction to an episode of Doctor Who.
Relationships: Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons
Series: trauma days [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1213947
Comments: 1
Kudos: 53





	kneel

**Author's Note:**

> so fun fact i actually had this fic idea ages ago, then the new season of doctor who gave me a scene i could use to trigger it. i wanted to write something involving a specific trigger & this seemed like the one that would be easiest to use
> 
> though im not too happy with how this came out ghsdfghdf ill probably write something else with a similar concept eventually to make up for it!
> 
> also this is set at some nebulous post-series after-theyve-left-shield point in the timeline. idk man just roll with it
> 
> as always, comments/kudos make me feel like a new episode with my fave doctor just came out

So much had happened over the past years, but a few things remained the same. Fitz and Simmons were, after everything, still together. They were, as they always had been, _unstoppable_ , after all. They still loved each other, and they still enjoyed one another’s company.

And they still had their little ritual of watching Doctor Who together.

For a period, watching the show had become difficult - even ignoring the practicality of it while they were apart, there was a time when Fitz struggled to watch it, wincing whenever he had to hear the name of the titular character. But that time had passed. They had caught up with the episodes they had missed together, and were eager to watch more.

Their Sunday evening schedules were cleared, and they made an event of it. They ordered pizza and microwaved popcorn and, when the time came, they curled up next to each other on the sofa to watch the episode live.

The viewing began well enough. Simmons couldn’t help but feel some sympathy for Graham, Ryan and Yaz as they were trapped on a crashing plane. She knew from experience that wasn’t a pleasant situation to be in.

The episode continued and, soon, a confrontation between the Doctor and the Master began. Simmons watched with rapt attention, until-

_The Master pointed his weapon at the gathered crowd and, then, at the Doctor herself. He had one condition for the Doctor, and he said:_

_“Kneel.”_

In a moment, Simmons wasn’t in her living room anymore. She wasn’t curled up against her husband, she wasn’t watching her favourite show, and she wasn’t enjoying still-warm popcorn.

She was somewhere else.

Somewhere that she hadn’t been for years.

She was in a warehouse, watching as the love of her life looked at her so coldly. As he pointed a gun at her. As he told her to-

“Can you hear me?”

It was his voice, but those weren’t the words from that day. Simmons blinked, and the moment of history that she had been trapped in melted away.

She wasn’t in a warehouse. There was no gun. There was no look of cold indifference in those oh-so familiar eyes.

She _was_ in her living room. The smell of the popcorn on the table was overpowering. The TV was paused, and the light from it illuminated the room.

“Jem?”

Fitz’s voice was soft. Gentle. Concerned. Nothing like the harsh, clinical voice of…

“I’m okay.” Simmons said, her own voice breathless. She realised that she hadn’t been breathing properly, and focused on taking a few calming breaths for a moment. “I’m fine. We can… we can keep watching.”

“Hey…” Fitz carefully reached forwards to cup her face. “You don’t have to be okay. I… can guess what happened. We can watch more later.”

“No, no. It’s…” Simmons shut her eyes and leaned into Fitz. “This is so… ridiculous.”

Fitz wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to his chest. “No. It’s not.”

“Fitz.” Simmons voice was more shaky than she would have liked. “I just had a flashback because of Doctor Who.”

“You had a flashback because you- you saw- saw something that emulated a traumatic event.”

Simmons groaned weakly. “You sound like my therapist.”

“No,” Fitz corrected. “I sound like _my_ therapist.”

Simmons laughed quietly, and fell silent for a few moments. Eventually, she spoke again. “I thought I was past this.”

“It’s just… a blip. They happen. Or, I mean, that’s what- that’s what I’ve heard.”

“I just… wasn’t expecting it.”

Fitz combed his hand through her hair. “That’s okay. It’s okay to- it’s okay to remember it. I’ll be here, whenever you do.”

Simmons let out a breath, and smiled softly. “I know.”

The pair stayed curled up like that for a while, until eventually Simmons drifted off on Fitz’s chest.

Awkwardly, Fitz reached over her for the remote control and clicked the TV off, before scooping her up into his arms and making his way back to their room. He tucked her into bed and cleared up quickly downstairs, before getting ready for bed himself and climbing in beside her.

As soon as he was laying next to her, Simmons shifted closer to him, her head resting over his heart, as always.

Fitz wrapped his arm around her and planted a soft kiss to the top of her head.

To him, it didn’t matter what triggered her flashbacks, or how long it had been since the traumatic events. He would always be there to remind her that she was safe now.


End file.
